Heart of the Sunrise CH 1: Skin Deep
by Lady Bastilla
Summary: Lucius Malfoy has decided to look abroad to find Draco a wife. Faye O'Riely is fat, wears glasses and -- worst of all -- is a "mudblood". With three months 'til the wedding will either be sane enough to say "I Do"? Set in the same 'universe' as "A Crossin


Heart of the Sunrise  
  
------------------ Author Notes: ------------------  
  
Love comes to you, You follow, Dream on, on to the heart of the sunrise. Sharp. Distance. How can the wind with its arms all around me, Feel lost in the city?  
  
"Heart of the Sunrise "-- Yes  
  
Hello and welcome to my first Harry Potter fanfic since 2002. This story is set in the same fictional "universe" as "A Crossing of Two Worlds" by vaderisgod. Its premise is this: What if the ministry of magic created a law to encourage pureblood wizards to marry muggle-born witches? This is Draco Malfoy's story. If you would like to know how this effects Lord Voldemort and Hermione, I would highly recommend that you read "A Crossing of Two Worlds " At any rate, please read, review and enjoy!  
  
--------------------------- Chapter 1: Skin Deep ---------------------------  
  
Faye O'Riely sat in numbed silence as the train she was on sped toward King's Cross Station. How was this possible? The question echoed through her mind with no hint of ceasing as forests and farms blinked in and out of view. They were much to close of a parallel to Faye's own rapidly changing life. If only going back to her once simply existence could be as easy as going back to those forests or farms. But like the train on which she now rode, fate continued to push her forward and there was no chance of turning around.  
  
Unfolding the crinkled piece of parchment that she held between sweaty hands, Faye unfolded it for the fiftieth time in the last three days. The whole thing was still quite a shock. She hadn't been terribly worried when the Ministry of Magic had passed the Blood Bill. She knew enough pureblood wizards – or had thought she had known – to know that it would change nothing. Yet here she was hundreds of miles from her native Canada, about to meet a betrothed that she had played no part in choosing. The worst part was that legally she had no right to decline. Faye had felt trapped before but this time it was different. This time there would be no escape.  
  
London began to appear on the horizon as the train curved around and down another steep hill. It was about time, too. No matter the trials that lay ahead Faye would be glad to rest and get rid of her jet leg. How much simpler this would have been had she not put off getting her appearition license. Yet since she hated floo powder, did not know how to make portkeys and could not drive muggle vehicles due to poor vision, the battle of finding someone to take her to the Bureau of Magical Applications had proven beyond her means. So a three second journey had instead taken thirteen hours. Ridiculous.  
  
The train began to slow its speed and a voice came over the loudspeakers telling everyone that they had arrived. Waiting a few moments for the car to clear Faye stood up and began to make her way cautiously toward the exit that lead onto the platform. So this was London, was it? Lovely.  
  
"Now to find my luggage. "she mumbled to herself. Her thoughts scattered to the few things she had read about the Blood Bill Brides and her hands began to shake. If someone thought they were about to lay claim to a house elf with privileges they were in for a rude awakening. Belongings, then. Before someone had the chance to separate her from what few possessions she did own.  
  
"Ah. There you are. "  
  
Faye turned around quick when a hand clasped around her arm a bit too tight. The man holding onto her was rather stern-looking and appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties. He was dressed in expensive black clothes that contrasted with his otherwise pale appearance. Well, excluding his dark gray eyes, which were scanning her body as if it were a piece of meat that he was considering buying from a deli. Doing her best not to hit him with her free hand, Faye meet his gaze. "And you are? "  
  
"Malfoy, "the man said slowly, pausing for a moment as though he thought the name should mean something to her, "Lucius Malfoy. You, I presume from your vacant expression, are Faye O'Riely. The muggle-born that I have chosen to marry my son Draco. "  
  
For one brief moment Faye considered lying, but looking down she saw that Lucius had her bags. If she did not identify herself she would lose everything she owned. Her heart sinking as her only chance at freedom slipped away, Faye nodded. "Yes, I am Faye O'Riely. Nice to meet you, Mr. Malfoy. "  
  
Lucius turned and walked away, half-dragging Faye until she remembered that he was gripping her arm. Struggling to keep up with his brisk stride she felt heat rising to her cheeks as people stopped to watch them leave the station. Finally they reached a parking lot and after dragging her behind some bushes Lucius produced a portkey. "I am going to be gracious in my assessment of your intelligence and assume that you know what this is. "  
  
Deciding that his comment was unworthy of a response Faye grabbed ahold of the portkey to keep her hand from clenching into a fist. Hitting this Lucius Malfoy would not help matters any. For all intents and purposes she was going to have to put up with his comments for the rest of her life. He seemed like a rather self-awed person. At the very least a bully who had not given up terrorizing others with playing on the monkey bars at school. His sarcastic tone cut through her thoughts like a blade. "Well, well... You do know what a portkey is. Perhaps there is hope for us yet. "  
  
He grabbed the portkey and suddenly Faye felt something grab at her navel and jerk her forward. In an instant the King's Cross parking lot was gone. Instead she was standing with Lucius on the lawn of a small castle. Made of dark gray stone and decorated with stained glass windows depicting various scenes of dragons, it was the strangest place Faye had ever seen. At the top of the highest tower a silver with a green dragon blew about in the autumn breeze.  
  
Faye felt a strange tug on her arm and without further indication she and Lucius were moving up the front lawn, past the gardens and into the main hall. The large oak and iron doors slammed shut of their own accord and Faye's heart began to pound. It was no longer a problem that this was going to happen. She now face the much more daunting reality: that it was happening. Right now. Taking a deep breath Faye tried to regain her composure. If these Malfoy's were good, then having them think she was afraid would be a bit insulting. But if they were bad... Well, she would hope they were good. If they were bad, what was she going to do?  
  
When the front door slammed shut Draco closed his copy of Disfigurements and Dementations in defeat. Why he had ever been stupid enough to let his father get ahold of the letter he had received a few months ago continued to elude him. He could have sworn that he had placed the thing back with all his other secret possessions.  
  
What surprised Draco most was not that Lucius had gotten ahold of the letter, though. It was how he had responded to it. Lucius had been angry that Draco had not given him the letter immediately, and much to his shock had taken its words with complete seriousness. Since the only Gryffindor meeting its requirements had recently married Lord Voldemort, Draco had been forced to watch as Lucius sought abroad for his future wife.  
  
The door that had just closed no doubt announced the arrival of the mudblood bitch who was destined to soil the Malfoy line. Draco shuddered at the thought. When Lucius had told him the name of his betrothed, Draco decided to do some research. None of what he had discovered was at all comforting. Not only was this Faye O'Riely a mudblood. She was also fat, blind and disabled. Maybe if he stayed in his room Lucius would figure he wasn't home.  
  
"Draco come down here. You have company. "Damn it, he had forgotten about his mother. There was no way out now. Slowly rising off the bed her began to sulk toward the stairs.  
  
Stopping at the landing Draco looked down at the main hall. Sure enough, there were his parents and a girl about his age wearing a warn leather jacket. When his mother stepped out of his line of vision Draco saw that the girl, while shorter then his parents, was only slightly chubby. She had flaming red hair and brilliant jade eyes that seemed to sparkle as much with uncertainty as intelligence at the moment.  
  
"Draco! "Great. Now his father was calling him too. Taking a deep breath Draco rose to his full height and strolled down the stairs, trying to look like meeting people this way was something he was accustomed to. As he approached he could swear he felt the girl's gaze on him. How was that possible when she was blind?  
  
"Draco, this is Faye O'Riely. Top witch at Willowsong Academy in Ontario, Canada. "Draco winced at his mother's tone. She seemed so happy and excited about this whole mess. "Your father and I have chosen her to be the next heiress for the Malfoy line. You have three months to get to know miss O'Riely before the wedding. "  
  
Draco tried to speak but no words would come out. Heiress of the Malfoy line? Merlin's Beard! Did his mother mean to say that she and father expected him to actually court a mudblood? Hell no! He'd do his duty to the wizarding world, but pigs would fly before he would allow himself to care about some filthy mudblood sex toy. Yes, that was what she was, he reminded himself. A house elf with special privileges.  
  
"Do you speak, Draco? Or am I safe to guess that I am engaged to a mute? "  
  
Draco felt rage welling up inside him, but when he looked to his parents for support he found them trying to keep from laughing. Stepping toward the girl he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him so that he could whisper something his parents would not hurt. "Yes, I can speak. And you had best never make so stupid a suggestion again or you will pay for it. "  
  
Draco let go of the girl as quickly as he had grabbed her, causing her to lose her balance and land on the silver and black marble floor with a sickening thud. I bet she doesn't feel so brave now, he thought as he looked at her lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. Rolling his eyes at his parents he turned and went back up to his room. Mission one had successfully been accomplished: whatever else this Faye O'Riely had up her sleeve, she would think twice before she insulted him again.  
  
-------------- End Notes --------------  
  
I hope that you have enjoyed the first chapter of "Heart of the Sunrise". As readers, I hope that you will take time to tell me what you think of this project. What has happened to Faye? Why are Draco's parents taking this situation so well? Will Draco and Faye be able to overcome their differences? All this and more will be explained as "Heart of the Sunrise" continues. 


End file.
